What Lessons Can We Learn From Christ Feeding 5,000 With 5 Loaves?

When Jesus Christ fed 5,000 with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes, that was extraordinary. There are many things we can learn from this account. I have created my own list below, if you can think of other lessons from the loaves please leave a comment. Also feel free to read through the other posts on this blog to read further insights on this miracle and other gospel principles.

1) Jesus Christ could organize intelligence and matter to become fish, or bread, very easily. There was not enough fish and bread present, and he didn’t wave a magic wand, but he was able to organize elements that were present into bread and fish very rapidly.

2) Before he performed this miracle, he prayed to his Father and gave thanks. Gratitude is likely a key component to commanding the elements. I’m sure love is also.

3) It shows that there are endless possibilities. No one else there was considering this as an option to feed the multitudes. But Jesus Christ was aware of the possibilities. He saw options that the others didn’t see. He knew of a solution that no one else was even considering, and it was the best and simplest solution of all. Others were wanting to send the people away to buy their own food, which was a reasonable solution to the logical mind. If Jesus Christ had tried to bake that much bread it would have been a huge task. He thought differently than others. It shows that God can provide effective, simple solutions, and the solutions are already there, if only we will trust him and are open to endless possibilities.

4) It shows that God wants to give us gifts. The people had not earned this bread, it was given to them freely without any requirements. No on earned it, no one paid for it. No one could take the credit for it either, no one could take ownership of this miracle to elevate their own position. We can’t use the gifts of God to show that we are better than others. No one felt superior because they got more, or they got the best piece of bread. No one felt less-than because it appeared someone else got more. All received sufficient for their needs. Jesus shared this gift with them because he had compassion for them, not because they had finally qualified for it.

God forgive me for the times I thought the bread you gave me meant that I was better than others, and forgive me for the times I have thought the bread you gave me made me inferior to others. I thought someone else’s bread was better than mine, and that made me less than. I am guilty of both of those.

5) No one was able to generate a profit off the bread he gave the people. No one was able to collect bread from the disciples, and then sell it to others in the multitude. This was not a financial opportunity for others. We should not make merchandise of God’s gifts to us. The bread that has been given to us we should freely share with others. Freely we receive, freely we give.

6) The disciples who helped distribute the bread must have also had a test of their faith. As I think of this situation, I can imagine me being one of the disciples that he asks to serve bread to the others. I can see him handing me a basket with a little bit of bread and fish in it, and saying, “Take this and go feed those 500 over there.” I would have looked in the basket, hesitated, and said, “Lord, you seem to have overlooked something here. I don’t have enough to do what you ask. This is impossible. This is hardly enough for one, how can you expect me to feed 500? Are you trying to make a fool of me? This is crazy!” And maybe I would have walked away offended, never to see the miracle that Christ had in mind. That response would have been logical. Upfront Christ did not give the disciples enough bread and fish to do what he asked them to do. I wonder what they thought as he asked them to do this? There is no report of anyone questioning Jesus, but in that situation I’m afraid I might have, because I know I have in the circumstances of my life. More than once I have felt like the Lord didn’t understand my circumstances. I have felt that God was asking me to do something without giving me what I needed to do it. I couldn’t see “how” it could happen, so I hesitated, waiting for the “how” to show up before I stepped forward. If the disciples had waited for there to be enough bread before they started serving the bread, there never would have been enough bread. Christ didn’t create a huge stock-pile of bread and fishes so all could see there was enough. Apparently it manifested as they served it. Amazing! And I honor those disciples for stepping forward to feed the multitude with what looked like a small portion of bread and fish.

7) As we trust God and are obedient, we can have confidence that he will provide sufficient for our needs, and provide what is needed for us do what he asks of us, even if it comes differently than we thought it would. Sometimes we want the Lord’s blessings to come at the time we want it to, in the way we want it to, in the amount that we think is needed. But we can’t see what he sees, we don’t know what we don’t know, so we have to trust that he has compassion for us, and will give us what is best for us. I must not get impatient and walk off when God’s miracle is perhaps moments away.

8) God can provide in abundance. He provided enough for them all to be filled, plus 12 baskets more.

9) Jesus Christ was not stressed about the situation. He didn’t follow the disciples around to make sure they gave out the right amount of bread. He didn’t get after anyone for taking too much. He wasn’t worried about running out of bread before everyone was served. He knew there would be sufficient, there was NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. Fear not, you are going to be OK!

10) The bread the people needed to meet their needs came at the time they received it. They didn’t have the security of seeing a stock pile of bread, they were blind to the unseen endless resources that could meet their needs at any moment. God will often give us what we need in the moment of need. We like to know how, where, and when the things we need will be. But God often stretches our faith by withholding the blessing until the last moment. The challenge is to trust that God will deliver us when we can’t see the solution and we are afraid that we are out of time.

11) Even though there was a lad with 5 loaves and 2 fish, for the multitude Jesus Christ was the sole provider of the bread. Just as he was the source of the bread, as the Bread of Life he is the source and sole provider of our salvation. It is because of him, and him alone that we have been redeemed from our sins. We cannot take any of the credit for our redemption. Our obedience to his laws and commandments is an act of love and gratitude to the one who has saved us; we are not stacking up points to earn or win salvation.

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9 Responses to What Lessons Can We Learn From Christ Feeding 5,000 With 5 Loaves?

Arden…this is the 4th time I’ve read this and it gets more powerful for me each time. Thanks for the thoughts that are here and that are brought to my own mind as a result of these thoughts. The graphics you found are marvelous, too. Doug M

This is very good insights. I appreciate the thoughts here about the scripture shared.
The scriptures often share what is most important. I sometimes wonder what else happened that is not written. What are we missing?
I love to hear about others’ insights when they read the scriptures. Thank you.

Loved the insights shared. I heartily agree that Gratitude given for Blessings yet to be received is what stands out the most for me. In addition to Moving forward…Knowing what is Needed will be provided in Abundance. Beautifully written. Thank you!

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